A 31-year-old Petaluma man was arrested after police said he was involved in a collision on Garfield Drive, drove away from the scene, and then led officers on a low-speed pursuit that ended on South McDowell Boulevard. Joel Martinez Manuel was booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence and evading a peace officer.
According to SFGATE, Petaluma police reported that the collision happened at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday on Garfield Drive, and that Manuel was accused of getting into the collision before driving off. Police said in their statement that he allegedly failed to stop once officers located him, instead continuing to drive until the pursuit came to an end on South McDowell Boulevard.
Pursuit Ends on South McDowell
Petaluma police described the chase that followed as a low-speed pursuit, according to the same report. Officers eventually caught up with Manuel on South McDowell Boulevard, where the pursuit concluded and he was taken into custody.
Manuel was arrested on suspicion of DUI and evading a peace officer, per the department's account, and booked into Sonoma County Jail.
What Remains Unknown About the Case
Beyond the department's initial statement, no further details about the incident have been made public. There is no information available yet on any court filing, plea, or case disposition tied to Manuel's arrest.
DUI and evading charges in California can carry significant penalties, with the state's vehicle code addressing both unlawful alcohol concentration while driving and fleeing from a peace officer. The California Legislative Information website notes that state law measures alcohol concentration in grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood or grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath, though no such measurement from this case has been disclosed.
Petaluma has seen other recent cases involving drivers accused of leaving the scene of a crash. A separate report from Petaluma, CA Patch described officers finding a man suspected in a hit-and-run two blocks from a collision that significantly damaged a parked car, though that incident is not confirmed to be connected to Manuel's case.
